The Robot Who Could Feel Pain
by Slightlysaltyace
Summary: Iron Man is a robot. That's what the world believes. No one knows about the Cyborg named Tony Stark hiding inside the armor. That is until an old enemy appears, threatening the life of Iron Man and forcing the Avengers to make some tough choices. (cross-published on ao3)
1. Chapter 1

A man turns into a giant green rage monster when he is upset?

Strange. But Steve rolls with it.

Flying aircraft carrier?

Strange as well. But it is the future after all. Howard Stark must have something to do with that one.

A man calling himself a god and waving a magic stick?

Not unlike the Red Skull. Steve handles this revelation the best.

Alien army invading New York?

Also strange. But Steve can go with it. He's good at going with the flow.

The man fighting beside him turning out to be an actual robot?

That one takes Steve a bit longer to wrap his head around. Why does the robot act so human? Of course, if Iron Man's creator could build such an advanced piece of machinery, then, of course, they could make his mannerism just as advanced. But who thought it was a good idea to give a robot attitude? The amount of sass Iron Man gave Steve on a daily basis was baffling. According to Nick Fury, Iron Man's creator was Tony Stark, who had died a few years ago. Fury also said that Stark had a bad sense of humor, one that he had passed on to his robotic child.

Tony Stark.

Steve wished he had been able to meet the son of his friend. He wondered if he was anything like Howard. He had tried asking Iron Man about Tony once.

"I only knew him for a short time. He built me in a cave. And then he was executed," Iron Man had said.

"Why did he build you?" Steve had asked.

"He knew he was going to die. Mr. Stark made a lot of mistakes in his life. And he was trying to make up for all of them by creating me. He told me my purpose is to make the world a better place." Iron Man had responded.

Steve hadn't asked any more questions after that.

After the battle of New York, the Avengers had moved into what had once been Stark Tower. Now dubbed "Avengers Tower". That had been a year ago. The entire team had become very close in that short time. Nothing like an alien invasion to bring people together. Natasha and Clint were still very private individuals, but they were doing their best. Bruce was a quiet, but kind. He liked to cook dinner for everyone. Thor was still getting used to living on Midgard and had blown up three microwaves and two toasters in the past month alone. He was trying his best.

Iron Man was a strange being. Sometimes Steve forgot that there was no actual person under that metallic armor. Just clumps of wires and oils. Steve didn't like to think about Iron Man like that, though. He liked to think that there really was a person in there. Iron Man acted like a real person. Most of the time. He would often spend time with the team just like a normal person. Watching movies, and playing board games. Iron Man would assist Bruce in the labs, and spend his free time reading books. He joined them in their training sessions.

There was another unusual thing about the Iron Avenger. He experienced emotions. Real emotions. The emotions seemed to be limited to joy, anger, and fear, but they were emotions none the less.

The rest of the team always had questions for Iron Man. Sometimes invasive ones. Clint once asked him if he had to plug himself into the wall at night. Iron Man had slapped him upside the head for that.

Steve didn't ask any more questions. This was the future after all. Why should he be so surprised at a robot who was capable of laughter?

What did surprise him, was the fact that he cared so deeply for a robot.

* * *

It had been six years since Tony Stark "died". Six years he had been living as half a human. The first three years had been difficult, but he managed. He was using his new body to help people, and that gave him peace of mind. Tony knew it didn't make up for all his past mistakes, but it was a start. It wasn't until the fourth year rolled around that the loneliness officially set in. Sure, he had Pepper. And Rhodey. And Happy. Those three did their best to be there for Tony, but there was only so much they could do. Tony saw Pepper the most. He had left the company to her in his will, and now she was using it to fund the Avengers. Rhodey would call him every once in awhile, make sure he was still breathing, and let him know how the War Machine armor was fairing. He clearly wanted to spend more time with Tony, but his military job wouldn't allow for it. Happy was head of security at Avengers tower and kept a close eye on Tony. Or as close as he could. Tony had a lot of secret rooms in the tower, allowing him to function outside of his suit without the others noticing. Happy knew about the entrance to Tony's secret maze but wasn't allowed inside.

Tony kept a lot of secrets these days.

Tony entered his bedroom, which was on a completely separate floor than the rest of the team. He shed his armor and limped over to his bed. Walking without his suit was difficult, but he managed alright. It was easier when he wasn't so tired. He had just returned from a rather long mission with his team and was ready to sleep for the next week.

Tony fell face first onto the bed with a grunt. He rolled onto his back and brushed his non-prosthetic hand through his black hair, and down the left side of his face. He refused to touch the right side. The side that was...not him. He had made a facial prosthetic to hide the mess of wires and metal plates that had replaced half of his face. But there was no hiding the glowing blue orb that had been implanted in his eye socket. Of all the things Tony was forced to learn to live with, the artificial eye had taken the longest to get used to. The eye wasn't faulty. He could see just fine with it. He did design it, after all. It was the way he now experienced color that caused problems. Sometimes, he saw everything in shades of blue. Sometimes he saw normal colors. Sometimes his two different eyes couldn't get along and he saw the world in a mess of saturated blues and grays.

"People are looking for you," Pepper leaned in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest. Of course, she knew how to get into Tony's secret room. It had been necessary early on when he was still recovering and needed someone to bring him food and medication.

"Too bad. My stumps hurt." Tony rolled back onto his stomach.

"Please stop referring to your legs like that," Pepper shifted around uncomfortably.

"Absolutely not. My stumps-"

"Stop. The Avengers are looking for you."

"You said that. Why? Tell them I'm re-charging," Tony didn't move.

Pepper stormed over and wrestled Tony off the bed. "You lost an arm. Again. They're worried."

Tony suddenly burst out laughing. His prosthetic arm had indeed been blown off during the battle, but he wasn't going to bother fixing it until after he got some rest.

"This isn't funny," Pepper gave him a disapproving look.

"Yes, it is. They're fretting over a robot. A robot, Pepper!"

"No, they're fretting over their teammate. Who also happens to be their close friend." Pepper smacked the back of his head. Tony had always been self-destructive, but losing half his body in Afghanistan made him even more so. Pepper just counter her lucky stars that he hadn't sustained any serious injuries since then. Just damaging his prosthetics here and there.

"I wonder if they're this worried about the toaster."

"Tony."

"What?"

"I know you don't see yourself as a person anymore. But they do. Even if they don't know the truth, they still treat you like a human being. They care about you. And you need to stop worrying them all half to death."

"I'll consider it," Tony didn't believe her. Who would care that much about a robot? About him? Ridiculous.

After letting his team know he was alright, Tony spent the next week avoiding everyone. He stayed in his workshop mostly. A hidden room in the tower where he could exist outside of his armor and work in peace. As Tony got to work on building a new arm, his mind wandered to when the Avengers first assembled two years ago.

"How about you take that armor off and we go a few rounds?" Steve had sneered at him. Bruce was watching them nervously.

"It's a little difficult to take off, but sure," Tony decided to humor the captain and unlatched the both the gauntlet and his prosthetic at the elbow. He tossed the arm onto the nearest tabletop.

"What the...?" Steve blinked.

"He's a robot," Bruce blurted out.

"What?!" Steve gasped. "Take off the helmet!" He demanded, jabbing Tony in the chest.

"Can't. My artificial brain is attached to it," Tony lied, tapping his knuckles against his temple. "Like Doctor Banner said, I'm a robot. Removing my armor would be like you removing your skin. I can't feel pain like you can, but it still wouldn't be very pleasant." Tony retrieved his arm and popped it back into place. He wiggled his metal fingers, making sure everything was aligned correctly. The look on Steve's face was just too perfect, and Tony couldn't help but laugh.

Steve took several steps back, startled by the sound. "B-but, you...you sound so...human. And you-"

"I wasn't the first artificial intelligence Mr. Stark created. He used his own voice to program mine. Still want to go a few rounds, old man?"

Steve leaned against the table Bruce was working at, shaking his head slowly. "A lot of things have surprised me about the future. But for some reason, a sarcastic robot doesn't surprise me all that much."

"You look pretty surprised to me."

Steve shook himself, regaining his composure.

"You understand emotions really well, for someone who isn't human," Bruce commented.

"I do my best."

"Why did Fury assign a robot to this team? Are robots that common nowadays?" Steve was speaking to Bruce.

"What? No, no. Well, a lot of people have Roombas, little robots that can vacuum their floors and what not, but Iron Man is unique. I don't think I've ever seen anything so advanced." Bruce explained. "And I don't know why he's on the team."

"Can we trust a robot?" Steve frowned. Tony also frowned, not liking how Steve was talking as if Iron Man wasn't standing right next to him. "I mean, isn't a machine that can think for itself dangerous? What if it decides to-"

"He!" Tony blurted out.

"Excuse me?" Steve blinked.

"I'm a man. Don't call me an 'it'." Tony snapped. "I was built to help people. I can't go against my programming, even if I wanted to. I'm on your side whether you trust me or not."

Steve held his glare for a solid minute before a large explosion rocked the Helicarier, and all hell broke loose.

Steve hadn't been all that friendly to Iron Man after that. But then Tony carried that nuke through the wormhole, and suddenly Steve was all friendly smiles and pats on the back. Apparently, he had proven himself to Steve. From there they had developed a strong friendship.

Tony made the final adjustments to his new arm and attached it to the socket.

* * *

"I got your six, Cap!" Iron Man called over the comms. Steve didn't bother looking up. He didn't need to. He could hear the roar of the robot's rocket boots overhead. A repulsor blast, followed by a small explosion and several cries of pain. Steve did look back at that, although he wasn't too surprised to see the truck that had been tailing him blown to bits.

Steve turned his attention back to the forest before him. His motorcycle kicked up mud as he sped through the trees. The rain wasn't coming down as heavy as it had been when they first raided the Hydra facility, but it was still coming down fairly hard. Steve kept his head low, allowing the water to easily roll of his cowl. In the distance, he could hear the Hulk roaring. The Hydra agents had put up more of a fight than expected, so the Avengers had to break out the big guns.

"We got what we came here for. Let's blow this popsicle stand!" Bucky called, rolling up beside the Captain on his own motorcycle. The Winter Soldier was the newest Avenger, having joined only two months ago. This was his first mission.

"Working on it!" Steve responded.

Iron Man suddenly blasted ahead of the two super soldiers, crashing through the treetops and scattering branches and leaves everywhere. "I'm picking up some weird signatures. I'm going to check them out."

"What kind of weird?"

"I'll let you know when I figure it out, Bucky-boy."

"Don't call me that," Bucky groaned.

"Sure thing, Bucky-boy."

Steve caught a glimpse of Iron Man ducking low to the ground, right before he vanished into the hillside. "Alright, Avengers. Let's wrap this up!"

* * *

"Any word from the tin man?" Sam leaned out of the Quinjet. His goggles were pushed up to his hairline, his mechanical wings folded neatly behind him. The battle had ended, but Iron Man was still underground, investigating an elaborate system of caves. He had found a few Hydra agents down there, as well as some suspicious tech. He managed to report his findings to the team right before his comm cut out.

"No. We give him five more minutes. Bucky and I will go down there if there's still no word." Steve reported.

"Well, come back inside until then." Sam motioned him in. The Captain was standing a bit away from the jet, using his shield as an umbrella. Steve was about to do as suggested when he heard the roar of repulsors. His face lit up at the sight of the Avengers' beloved robot flying towards them.

Iron Man landed next to Steve with a thud.

"Good to see you in one piece," Steve clapped him on the shoulder. "What happened down there?"

"Bad stuff," was all Iron Man said.

"Care to elaborate?"

"No."

Steve sighed. Sometimes working with Iron Man could be a real pain. Unlike Jarvis, Iron Man could disobey orders. And lie. "Was there anything down there that could pose a threat?"

"There was. I took care of it," Iron Man said bluntly. The rain rolled down his expressionless face. In the dim light, Iron Man's glowing blue eyes looked downright threatening. The metal Avenger was unusually still, his fists balled at his sides. Iron Man was always moving in some way, using his body language to make up for his lack of facial expressions. Seeing him so still was unsettling.

"Are you alright?" Steve frowned.

"Are you?"

"don't change the subject."

"I didn't. We're still talking about injuries. Although, that's not a very fun topic. Let's talk about something else. Like the fact that Thor blew up the toaster. Again. Someone needs to talk some sense into that man before my wires snap. I swear-"

"Iron Man," Steve warned as he circled around him, checking for any damage. Iron Man moved his head to follow Steve's movements but otherwise remained still.

"I'm fine, Cap. Really," Iron Man said. "Just a bit shaken up."

"By what? Iron Man, what happened down there?"

"Human Experimentation." Iron Man's voice was barely audible. He was facing Steve, but Steve could tell his eyes weren't focused on him. "But, like I said. I took care of it. We should go."

* * *

Tony paced his lab, wringing his hands anxiously.

"Sir, I believe you are having a panic attack. Would you like me to call Ms. Potts?" Jarvis asked.

"No, no, no. I-I got this...I got this." Tony dropped onto the couch, where he had been living for the past two days. What he had seen in those caves was still fresh in his mind. He hadn't been able to save the person the Hydra agents were experimenting on. And he hated himself for it. Part of him wished he hadn't gone down there. Then he wouldn't have seen what they had done to that person. He wasn't even sure what gender they had been. Most of their body had been replaced with robotic parts.

Just like Tony.

But it was worse.

So much worse.

The person was already dead when Iron Man found them.

Tony started hyperventilating.

After several very long hours of panicking, Tony was able to calm down enough to slip back into his armor. He didn't want to be alone right now. And so, he left his secret workshop to go find the one person who never failed to make him feel better.

Steve.

* * *

"Who are you drawing?" Iron Man leaned over the back of the couch, eyeing the sketchbook in Steve's hands. He was drawing a man sitting at a workbench, fiddling with a clump of wires. The man had dark, unkempt hair, and slim fitting clothes, with one of his shoes untied.

"You," Steve smiled. The pencil squeaked when he darkened the jawline. Tony blinked. He was a bit shocked to see just how close Steve had gotten to the real deal. Was his personality that obvious?

"You gave me a human face," Iron Man tilted his head. "And body?"

"I was imagining what you would look like if you had one." Steve used a blue pencil to color in the eyes. No pupils, just glowing blue orbs. Tony chuckled. Steve had gotten that little detail half right. "I actually based you off Tony Stark. Hope you don't mind."

"Nah, it's cool. But if you're going to do that then you should give me facial hair." Tony requested.

Steve drew a thin, curly mustache.

"Not like that."

"Beggars can't be choosers," Steve tapped Iron Man's cheek with the pencil.

"Can I draw you?" Tony took a seat next to him.

Steve turned to a clean page and handed it over, "go for it."

Tony fumbled with the pencil. The gauntlets always made grasping small objects difficult. Steve leaned against Iron Man, head resting on his shoulder as he watched the other man draw. Tony drew his vision of Steve as a robot. The design was a bit like his own, but bulkier and with a patriotic theme. His drawing skills were nowhere as good as Steve's, and it showed. He drew a mustache on the faceplate and handed the sketchbook back to Steve. "Now we have matching facial hair."

Steve laughed.

"Well, look who it is!" Bucky's metal hand clanged against Tony's helmet. He plopped down on the other side of Steve. Tony wasn't all that surprised to see the assasin. Bucky was still getting used to living with so many people and hardly left Steve's side. "Where have you been?"

"I haven't been anywhere," Tony tilted his head.

"Okay, I know this tower is fucking huge...but where do you go? How do you just disappear for days on end?" Bucky waved a hand in the air.

"I have my own private space," Tony said, "where I can tinker with things in peace."

"Huh," Bucky leaned back, hands behind his head. "What do you tinker with?"

"Myself," Tony snickered.

"Is that supposed to be a masturbation joke? Because I don't know how I feel about making masturbation jokes with robots," Bucky made a face. "Ow! Steve! Don't kick me!"

Iron Man laughed. "I have to upgrade myself every once in awhile. And fix any battle damage. I'm also the one in charge of upgrading the gear for all you sad lumps of flesh-" Steve kicked Iron Man in the shin. "Stop kicking people! It's rude. As I was saying. I make the gear. I'm working on some new arrows for Clint right now."

"Huh," Bucky said again, nodding slowly. Bucky was still recovering from his time as a brainwashed hydra soldier and didn't talk much. But he always had a lot to say when he did feel like talking. He also had a lot of questions. Mostly about modern life. But also about how Iron Man functioned. Tony didn't mind. He liked Bucky. The softly spoken soldier was friendly and level-headed. But he also possessed enough sass to rival both Tony and Sam.

Bucky also had a prosthetic arm.

That fact had brought the two closer, even if Bucky didn't know it. Just knowing someone with shared life experience put Tony's mind at ease.

"Stevie, you should draw me next," Bucky suggested, tapping Steve's sketchbook.

"Okay, pick a pose," Steve smiled.

Bucky moved over to the other couch and lay down on his back, one leg thrown over the back of the couch and one hand behind his head. "How's this?"

"Very...um..." Steve's face was red. "Fine. That's fine. Hold still."

* * *

Metal clanged against metal. Bucky grunted and jumped back.

"Slow," Iron Man darted forward, kneeing him in the gut. Bucky gasped in pain but quickly recovered himself. He grabbed Iron Man by the head and flipped him onto his back. Even with the thick foam mat, a heavy thud still echoed throughout the training room. Iron Man ignited his boots for a split second, just long enough for him to shoot out of Bucky's grasp.

"I think I'm done for today," Bucky sat back on his haunches.

"We've only been sparring for an hour." Tony got to his feet and twisted his head from side to side. He knew he was going to have a sore neck in the morning and wasn't looking forward to it.

"I said I'm done," Bucky said firmly.

"Okay," Iron Man nodded once. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, no, I just have a lot on my mind. Can't focus too much," Bucky admitted, giving Tony a look he couldn't quite read.

"I hope this isn't you trying to initiate a heart to heart because I'm definitely not the person for that," Tony held up his hands.

"I know," Bucky chuckled. "Kinda hard to have a heart to heart with someone who doesn't have one." Tony flinched at his word choice. Bucky didn't notice and went on, "I'm not very good with feelings anyway." He stood up and stretched. He swung his metal around in a big circle, loosening up the shoulder joint. "Can I ask you something, though?"

"No. But I have a feeling you're going to ask anyway." Tony crossed his arms.

"Do you ever feel like you shouldn't be here?" Bucky asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...look, this isn't my time. Not my century." Bucky shook his head, "And I don't know if I should be apart of this team. You guys are like a family. A family that I don't really have a place in. I'm trying my best to socialize. Cause that's what Steve wants. He wants me to be friends with everyone like he is. And I want that too. But I'm bad at socializing and everyone here is kinda intimidating," Bucky's eyes flicked around the room nervously. "And like I said, you guys were already a family long before I got here. Even if I do get closer to everyone, it still won't be the same."

Tony nodded slowly. "I understand. I don't think I'll ever be a true member of their family either."

"You?" Bucky actually laughed at that. "Oh come on, they adore you."

"In the same way they would adore a pet. Trust me, they don't ever let me forget I'm not human. That I'm not one of them." Tony took a deep breath, although the sound didn't quite make it through the helmet. "You and I are both outcasts, buddy."

"Guess we are. We'll just have to be our own little family." Bucky clapped his metal hand on Iron Man's shoulder. "You know what? You used to scare me the most. But you're just a big softy."

"Don't push it, kid. I could snap your neck."

"But you won't."

"I won't," Tony agreed. He slipped his prosthetic hand under Bucky's and pushed it back a bit. He stared at their hands, metal palms resting against one another. "It's good to know there's someone in this fucked up world that understands me."

"Same," Bucky smiled.

Steve didn't know what had gone down in the training room that day, but the next day Bucky was acting a bit more confident. He was branching out and talking more with the others. Especially Iron Man. A few days later Steve had found the two in the library, enthusiastically discussing rock music. He had seen Iron Man act this way before. If anyone even uttered the word 'science' around him, the bot would go on hour long tangents. But Steve had never seen Bucky this excited to have a conversation. Or this happy. Not since before the war.

* * *

"He needs a name."

"For the last time, Clint. Iron Man is not a pet. You can't just-"

"We should call him Sparky," Clint smirked. Natasha hit him over the back of the head. "How about Robert? He looks like a Robert."

"My name is Iron Man, you ignorant swine," Iron Man chose that moment to make his presence known. His metal feet clinking on the floor as he stormed over to the archer. Most of the team had gathered in the kitchen for dinner. Tony hadn't been planning to stick around, but then he heard his name and decided otherwise.

"Ah! Man of Iron! Glad you could join us for dinner!" Thor clapped him on the back, a big friendly grin plastered on his face.

"I'm not joining you. I'm just here to yell at Clint."

"Okay, but isn't 'Iron Man' a little weird?" Clint went on, waving a hand in the air. "I mean, he goes on and on about wanted to be treated like a normal person, so shouldn't he have a normal person name?"

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here," Tony hissed. Clint looked a bit taken aback by the spite in his tone.

"He can call himself whatever he wants. It's not up to you, Clint," Steve said firmly. He gave Iron Man an apologetic look, "he does have a point though. Are you sure you want to keep going by Iron Man? It's no big deal if you want us to call you something else."

"No. I'm sticking with the name Mr. Stark gave me. And that's final."

* * *

Steve didn't question anything when Iron Man took his hand and guided him through a maze of hidden hallways. They went down a flight of steps, and Iron Man punched a command into a virtual keypad on a glass wall. The doors slid open with a whoosh of air.

"So this is where you go," Steve looked around the workshop in awe. Robots big and small moved around the area on their own, whirring and beeping at Steve as some form of welcome. As soon as Iron Man stepped into the shop, all of the lights flicked on. Holographic screens appeared all over the place. All in all, the workshop was a downright mess. Tools littered the various workbenches. Mechanical parts were scattered everywhere. There was a pile of tangled wires in one corner. A large robot rolled over to Steve, waving its single giant arm. It made a loud beeping noise and snapped its claw at Steve. "I don't think it likes me."

"That's Dumm-E. He's saying hello. He's an idiot, but he's friendly. Don't mind him," Iron Man pat Dumm-E's arm as he walked past.

"Did you build him?" Steve asked, not taking his eyes of the bot.

"No. Mr. Stark did. I built all the other ones, though," Iron Man explained. "They're like my children."

Steve nodded, looking around at all the bots in awe. He spotted an Iron Man helmet one of the tables and picked it up. He realized it was the one he had worn when they first met. Iron Man had been making small changed to his armor since then. His overall build was a lot more compact now. It was sleeker, the metal plates coming together seamlessly. Steve flipped the helmet over, expecting it to look like the inside of a computer. But it didn't. It was empty. Just a helmet. "Huh," Steve set it back down.

Iron Man had taken a seat at one of the workbenches, his back to Steve.

"So...why bring me here?" Steve leaned against the bench Iron Man was at.

"I wanted you to know this place exists," Iron Man shrugged.

"What for?"

"Because you're my friend and you should know. Also, it gets lonely down here sometimes." He added the last bit in a whisper. "Also, I..."

"...yes?"

"I have a feeling something bad is about to happen. Something really bad," Iron Man put down the screwdriver he had been holding. "If something happens to me when we're out on the field-"

"We won't let anything bad happen to you," Steve assured him.

"You can't control everything. I trust you, Steve. I trust you to bring my body back here and help me get patched up if something does happen." Iron Man looked up at him, faceplate as unreadable as ever.

"I don't know how much help I would be. I still can't figure out my email. But I'll do what I can, Shellhead." Steve tapped his knuckles on Iron Man's helmet in an affectionate way.

"Thanks, Winghead."

* * *

Steve jolted awake in a cold sweat, a scream tearing from his throat. Images of the war still flashing before his eyes. Images of good men, of friends, being shot. Blown to bits. Images of Bucky falling. The feeling of the ice-cold water that had engulfed Steve when he crashed the plane into-

"Cap!" Equally cold hands pressed against his shoulders, trying to push him back down. He hadn't realized he had been sitting up until that moment. A pair of bright blue eyes hovered over him. The grip on his shoulders tightened. "Steve, calm down, you need to breathe!"

"No!" Steve threw his fists wildly. One of them collided with something very solid. The pain that flared up in his knuckles forced him to fully wake up. "Ow...Iron Man?" He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and blinked a few times.

"The one and only. Jarvis, can you get the lights? Thanks." Steve shielded his eyes from the sudden bright light. Iron Man was sitting on the edge of his bed, hands still clasped on Steve's shoulders. Iron Man spoke again, "Jarvis said you were in distress. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, just a nightmare," Steve whispered.

Iron Man's grip on his shoulders relaxed, his hands sliding down to hold Steve's. Steve let his forehead rest against Iron Man's.

"You look like shit."

"Thanks," Steve snorted.

There was a long silence before Iron Man spoke again.

"Anything I can do for you, big guy?"

"Can you...nevermind." Steve looked away.

"What?"

"Stay with me? Just until I fall back asleep. Usually, I go to Bucky when I have nightmares, but I don't want to bother him and...yeah."

"Okay." Iron Man shifted around so that he was fully on the bed, leaning against the headboard. Steve moved over to give him room. Iron Man made Jarvis turn the lights back off. "Try to get some rest, Cap. I'll stand guard."

"Thank you," Steve laid back down. He didn't think he would be able to get to sleep after that. But Iron Man's presence turned out to be exactly what he needed. The soft blue glow from the robot's eyes and chest lulled him into a peaceful sleep. The soldier settled in close to Iron Man's thigh, one arm draped over the robot's knee.

Iron Man pulled the blankets up over Steve's still form. He hesitated before brushing a hand through his ruffled blonde hair. "Goodnight." Iron Man whispered.

The next morning Steve awoke to the feeling of cold metal pressed against his face. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, a little surprised to see that Iron Man was still sitting with him. The robot must have powered down at some point. His eyes had switched off, and his chin was resting against his chest.

"Morning," Iron Man's voice startled Steve, causing him to fall out of the bed. Steve poked his head up and found that Iron Man's eyes had flicked back on. "Sleep alright?"

"I did, thank you." Steve gave him a warm smile.

* * *

"Okay, but I'm not the one who wants to bone a robot!" Clint shot back, jabbing Steve in the chest.

"Bone?" Steve blinked in confusion. Bucky knew what Clint meant and was doubled over in laughter.

"Thanks for that mental image, Clint!" Bucky snickered. A big smile spread across Clint's face. The three had been arguing over something petty. Steve had taken a shot at Clint's morals, and Clint went in for the kill. "Now that you say that, I can totally see it!"

"I know right?" Clint threw an arm around Bucky's shoulders. "Those two are practically joined at the hip! Steve, you are one kinky son of a bitch!"

"Excuse me?" Steve was even more confused at this point.

"Don't worry, Stevie, we're not judging! We just didn't expect it, is all," Bucky put his arm around Steve's shoulders, pulling both the archer and his oldest friend close.

"Expecting what? What are you guys talking about?"

"About the fact that you're head over heels for Iron Man."

Steve instantly jerked away from his friend. "I-I am not! Absolutely not! I would never have relations with a teammate, that would be extremely unprofessional!"

"So the fact that he's a robot doesn't bother you? You're not making a move because he's your teammate? Wow," Clint giggled.

"Well, that too. Iron Man is a good friend of mine, but like you said. He's just a robot. A relationship just isn't possible."

"What if he loves you back?" Bucky tilted his head.

"I don't love him," Steve crossed his arms. "Not like that."

"Okay, but what if you did? And he loved you back?"

"It wouldn't be real," Steve shook his head. "All of Iron Man's emotions are fake. Computer generated. Anyone, including himself, could reprogram him to feel whatever."

"I don't know, I think he fancies you quite a bit, regardless of programming." Bucky ruffled Steve's hair.

"Doesn't matter. He's a robot. Sure, he can think for himself, but he doesn't have an ounce of humanity in him. I could never love someone like him."

Clint frowned, "just cause he doesn't have skin doesn't make him any less human. It's all about what's up here, right?" He tapped his own temple with his index finger.

Steve sighed, "I suppose you're right. But I'm still not planning on sleeping with a robot, so let's just drop it."

"Whatever you say, Stevie," Bucky laughed.

* * *

Steve lounged on the couch in Iron Man's lab, working in his sketchbook while the robot repaired one of Falcon's wings. AC/DC was playing softly in the background. It had been blaring loudly until Steve asked that it be turned down. Steve had tried to get him to play different music in the past, but Iron Man was very enthusiastic about his music tastes and refused to do so. Currently, Iron Man was playing the same song on loop, just to piss Steve off. Steve had half a mind to hit him over the head with a wrench. He glanced up every now and then at the robot who seemed to have made it his life's mission to push Steve's buttons. Iron Man had been in the same spot for the past three hours, making it easy for Steve to draw him in great detail. The conversation he had had with Clint and Bucky a few days ago was still fresh in his mind.

Did he have feelings for Iron Man?

Yes. Of course, he did. Iron Man could be a real pain in the ass at times. He was reckless, hot-headed, and could be downright rude. But he was also extremely caring and considerate of others when it mattered. He could be friendly, and Steve liked his jokes. And he was there for Steve whenever he had a nightmare. Sparring with him was also a lot of fun. Iron Man didn't hold back, and Steve enjoyed the adrenaline. Steve cared very deeply about his teammate and would be absolutely shattered if anything bad ever happened to him. But did he love him?

Steve closed his sketchbook and looked over at the robot once more. He had told Clint that he didn't. But in all honesty, he wasn't sure. He reminded himself that no matter how human Iron Man acted, he was still just a robot.

"How many emotions can you feel?" Steve asked suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Iron Man looked up.

"I know you can be happy. And angry. Sometimes scared. Do you ever get sad?" Steve asked, twirling his pencil between his thumb and index finger.

Iron Man stared at him for a long moment. His blue eyes seemed to bore into Steve's soul. "I do. Fairly often, actually." He lowered his gaze again and picked up a screwdriver.

Steve felt a pang of sympathy for him. Iron Man had said that he often got lonely, so Steve had made it his mission to spend more time with the robot. "What else can you feel?"

"Every emotion that a human can."

"Even love?"

"Even love," Iron Man nodded once.

"Have you ever been in love?"

"Yes," Iron Man said softly, eyes never leaving Steve's. "And it hurts. I wish Mr. Stark had kept that emotion from me. Because I'm madly in love with someone who can't love me back. And it's tearing me apart."

Steve opened his mouth to say something but closed it again.

"Have you ever loved someone, Captain?"

"I have. More than once." Steve couldn't help but smile.

Iron Man must have noticed the smile because his next question hit home, "is there someone right now?"

"I suppose so." Steve hummed. "It's complicated, though. I'm still figuring it out."

They both fell into a comfortable silence after that. Steve silently thanked the gods when Iron Man finally changed the song.

* * *

"You should just tell them."

"Absolutely not," Tony snapped, not looking up from the gauntlet he was working on. He was out of his suit, wearing nothing but a tank top and jeans.

"Why not?! Tony, this has gone on long enough. You deserve to live a normal life." Pepper pleaded. "The team cares about you. Their feelings won't change if they were to know the truth. If anything they would just care about you more."

"I don't deserve jack shit." Tony looked up at her, the pain in his human eye all too clear. "And they'd kick me off the team if they knew I'd been lying to them for over a year. Hell, I've been lying to the entire world for six years! Can you imagine what would happen if I suddenly showed my face?!"

"I don't know what would happen. But I'm pretty sure the Avengers won't kick you out."

"It's a very real possibility."

Pepper took a deep breath. "At least tell Steve your feelings for him. Everyone can see that he loves you."

"He'll stop loving me when he sees what I really look like."

"Tony Stark you are impossible," Pepper threw her hands in the air. "Steve loves you for you. He'd probably be over the moon if you told him you were a real human who could show him affection."

Tony scoffed. "He doesn't love me. I heard him talking to Clint and Barnes. He said he could never love a robot-"

"You are not a robot." Pepper frowned.

"Look at me, Pepper!" Tony jumped to his feet, arms outstretched. "Half of my body is a machine! One of my eyes sees the world in shades of blue code! I am most definitely a robot!" He ripped the facial prosthetic off and flung it across the room. Pepper flinched at the sight of his actual face and tried to look away, but Tony yelled, "LOOK AT ME, PEPPER." Pepper forced herself to do as he said. Part of his jaw, his entire cheek, and eye socket was replaced with metal plates. Bits of rubber and wire snaked their way between the plates. Angry scar tissue covered the area where flesh met metal. Tony still managed to keep his facial hair in check, despite everything. Pepper tried to focus on that instead of the machinery.

Pepper took a deep, shaky breath. "You...you are human. You were born a human, and you will always be a human! Your brain is still made of tissue, and your heart is still beating."

Tony slammed his hands on the table, the sound making Pepper jump. He glared at her for a minute before taking a deep breath and hanging his head. "How much longer, though? My heart is all wrong. All messed up. So is my brain," Tony tapped his temple. "The PTSD isn't going to go away. It's all messed up. I'm all messed up, Pep. How could Steve ever love someone like me?"

"Because he's a good person who can accept people for their flaws." Pepper sighed.

"I don't think he could accept this many flaws."

Pepper stiffened. "Tony."

"What?"

"I can't help you. Not if you're going to keep fighting me every step of the way," Pepper said slowly. "If you want to rot away in that tin can, never able to show your face outside this lab, never allowing yourself to be loved...then fine. That's your decision. But I'm not going to stick around and watch you rot. I just can't." Pepper turned on heel and left before Tony could say anything else.

Tony clenched his fists. "ARGH!" In one sweeping motion, he knocked everything off his workbench. For a moment, he got some sick satisfaction with destroying the items that had been in front of him. He spun around and punched the nearest object, a computer screen. The crack his fist left was also satisfying. But he needed something more. Before he knew what he was really doing, Tony was tearing his workshop apart. Smashing half-finished projects, breaking the glass walls, ripping apart the blueprints for the Iron Man suit.

After denting the wall with a sledgehammer, Tony picked up his helmet. Its now dark eyes stared at him. Mocking him. Pepper was right. Iron Man may be living up life, enjoying his new friendship with Steve and the Avengers. But Tony Stark was rotting away on the inside.

"Fuck you," Tony slammed the helmet down on the edge of a table. "Fuck you. Fuck you! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU ALL TO HELL!" He brought the helmet down again and again and again. The armor didn't even scratch. That enraged Tony even more. He picked up the sledgehammer and brought it down on the helmet.

* * *

Steve carefully stepped over the broken glass that littered the robot's workshop. He held his shield up, fearing the worst. He had come down to the workshop to talk to Iron Man about upgrading said shield. What he found made his blood run cold. The room was a complete disaster. It looked like a tornado had plowed through. Dumm-E hid in the corner, not making a sound. Someone must have broken in. Which was highly unlikely, considering no one knew this place existed other than him and Pepper. But something had clearly happened. Someone broke in. And that someone might have attacked Iron Man.

"Iron Man?" Steve called. Glass cracked under his boot.

"Over here."

Steve hurried towards the voice. He found Iron Man leaning against an overturned workbench. "Oh, buddy..." Steve's voice was heavy with sympathy as he knelt down next to his friend. Iron Man's armor was riddled with dents and scratches. The glass casing over his arc reactor had shattered, the light behind it flickering. Part of the faceplate was broken off, revealing the machinery underneath. A blue light shone from Iron Man's eye socket. "Who did this to you?" He gently turned Iron Man's head towards him, trying to get a better look at the damage. Iron Man jerked away.

"I did."

"What?" Steve faltered.

"I said 'I did'." Iron Man huffed. "I did this to myself. I...needed to express some anger."

"We have punching bags for a reason. You didn't have to take your anger out on yourself," Steve sighed. "Or your workshop..." he looked around sadly, knowing how much this place meant to Iron Man.

"I did, though. Don't worry about all this. It was going to happen eventually. I'm a mess, Steve." Iron Man hung his head. "W-what are you doing?" Iron Man stiffened when Steve suddenly wrapped his arms around him.

"You look like you could use a hug," Steve pressed his forehead against the cold metal of Iron Man's temple.

Iron Man fell silent, leaning into Steve's embrace. "Sorry," he whispered after several minutes of hugging.

"It's okay. Let's get you fixed up, okay?"

"Okay." Iron Man nodded slowly. In the end, Iron Man sent Steve away, wanting to fix the damage by himself. Steve didn't want to leave him, not after what he had just been through. He was also worried that Iron Man might have another breakdown. But the robot was very determined to fix everything himself, and Steve didn't want to upset him by arguing. So he left.

* * *

"Sir, it's nearly midnight, I suggest you retire for the evening," Jarvis suggested.

"Mute," Tony waved his hand. He had finished repairing his armor a few hours ago, but the workshop as a whole still needed a lot of work. Satisfied that all the broken glass had been swept up, he got to work on putting the furniture back upright. Once that was finished, he put his hands on his hips and looked around the room. Still so much to do. But he didn't regret a single thing.

"Sir-" Jarvis started.

"I thought I muted you?"

"There is an incoming projectile," Jarvis announced in his usual bored tone.

"What?!" Tony bolted to his feet, eyes snapping to the window. Sure enough, there was something flying right at the tower. He acted on instinct, calling his armor to him and yelling at Jarvis to warn the Avengers. Jarvis set off the alarm just seconds before the missile crashed through the window.

 **BOOM**

The explosion completely obliterated the lab, causing the entire tower to shake. Tony was vaguely aware of himself falling.

* * *

"THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" Bucky screaming as he sprinted down the hallway. The rest of the team was scrambling around the Avengers' personal floor, weapons at the ready.

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure it came from Iron Man's workshop!" Steve darted past him, a look of panic on his face.

"Iron Man? What did that damn bot do now?!" Natasha snapped.

Clint shook his head, "it wasn't him, I saw the missile right before it hit!"

 **BOOM**

A second explosion knocked everyone off their feet. The tower seemed to sway for a moment. Large cracks formed along the floor, small sections of it starting to cave in. Steve used his shield to protect himself from the bits of ceiling that were raining down on him. "We need to get out of here! Everyone get to the Quinjet!" They were on the 50th floor. No time to take the stairs.

 **BOOM**

The tower started to tilt. The windows shattered and a large part of the ceiling caved in. "GO, GO, GO!" Steve screamed.

Thor grabbed Bruce and Natasha and used his hammer to fly them to safety. Sam didn't have enough room to use his wings. Instead, he grabbed Bucky and ran. Steve hurried after everyone, but the building was becoming increasingly unstable, and he found it difficult to keep his footing.

"CAP!" Clint screamed when the floor gave out under the super soldier.

Steve let out a scream as he plummeted down several stories. He flailed his arms, desperately trying to grab onto something. His screams were abruptly cut off when he crashed into something very solid. "Iron Man?!"

The robot looked down at the man in his arms, "I got you, Cap. Hang on!" Steve barely had time to secure a hold on Iron Man before they blasted back up. Iron Man swerved through the falling debris. The entire tower was coming down at this point. Iron Man made an abrupt turn, shooting out the side of the falling structure and into the crisp night air. Once they were a safe distance away, Iron Man turned back to face the tower. He hovered in mid-air, holding Steve tightly in his arms as they watched their home crumble. The Quinjet flew off the landing pad just in time.

Steve jolted at a sudden realization, "Pepper! Happy! They-"

"I already got them out. And before you ask, there wasn't anyone else in the building," Iron Man assured him. "Oh, wait..." Steve looked up at him worriedly. "My bots..." Iron Man's voice was quiet. Broken. Steve's heart ached for him.

Iron Man took one last look at the pile of rubble that had once been their home before flying after the Quinjet. The ramp lowered, allowing Iron Man to fly inside. He set Steve down and punched a button on the wall, closing the ramp.

Clint was flying the jet. Steve thought he was going to find a rooftop or parking lot to land in, but he kept flying. They left the city limits in a matter of minutes. "We don't know who attacked us. Or if they have more missiles, we need to get out of here before civilians get hurt," he announced. Everyone murmured their agreement.

Steve did a quick headcount. Everyone was present. And uninjured. They were all in various states of shock. But they were alive. And that was all that mattered at the moment.

Iron Man had pressed himself into a corner. He hardly left the tower, unless for a mission, or if he was accompanying Pepper to Malibu. Steve put a hand on his arm, "you gonna be okay?"

"I'll live," Iron Man spoke softly. "I've been through worse. Where are you taking us, Barton?"

"Safehouse," was all Clint said.


	2. Chapter 2

"Incoming transmission from War Machine," Jarvis announced after an hour of complete silence on the Quinjet.

"Who?" Steve frowned.

"I've heard that name somewhere..." Sam rested his chin on his fist, deep in thought.

"Patch him through," Iron Man ordered.

One of the screens up front flickered to life, Iron Man's face appearing before them. Steve did a double take. It wasn't quite Iron Man. The faceplate had a few subtle differences. The robot also had a gray color scheme and red eyes. He didn't look too friendly.

"IRON MAN!" War Machine roared, making everyone jump.

"Hey, honey bear!" Iron Man chirped, waving at the other bot. "Haven't seen you in awhile! How ya been?"

"We just saw each other last week, you moron. And I swear to god, if you get yourself blown up one more time, I'll put you back together just so I can blow you up myself!" War Machine's voice was deeper than Iron Man's.

"I didn't get myself blown up this time!" Iron Man protested, throwing his hands in the air.

"This time?!" War Machine also threw his hands in the air. The Avengers looked between the two bots. This "War Machine" had to have also been one of Tony Stark's creations. Or maybe Iron Man had built him? The bots were too similar for there to not be a connection."Jesus! And what's this I hear about you trashing your workshop? Pepper told me everything, so don't play dumb." He jabbed an accusing finger at his fellow bot.

"I cleaned everything up! It all got blown to hell in the end, but at least I cleaned up my mess."

"That doesn't excuse what you did!"

"Um, excuse me?" Natasha stepped in front of Iron Man. "Who are you?"

"War Machine. The guy who's supposed to be keeping an eye on the hot mess behind you," War Machine snapped.

"I don't need you keeping an eye on me," Iron Man flipped him off.

"Real mature," War Machine shook his head.

"How come we're just now hearing about you? I thought Iron Man was one of a kind," Bruce leaned towards the screen, taking in every detail of the new bot.

"Excuse you, I am one of a kind," Iron Man crossed his arms and held his chin up.

"Oh, he definitely is," War Machine groaned. "Wait," he jerked his head back, "you think I'm a bot, don't you?"

"You aren't?" Steve raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not." War Machine's faceplate flipped up, revealing a very human looking man. "One hundred percent human. This is just a suit of armor Iron Man made for me."

"I didn't make it for you," Iron Man said.

"You gave it to me."

"You stole it."

"Iron Man, you literally sat on the floor and did nothing while I walked away with it." Rhodes pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Whatever," Iron Man waved his hand dismissively.

"How do you know Iron Man? Who exactly are you?" Natasha frowned.

"Colonel James Rhodes of the United States Airforce, ma'am," War Machine straightened up. "I was close friends with Tony Stark. I've been trying to keep an eye on Iron Man for him. Make sure he doesn't get himself blown up again." He gave the bot a very unamused look. "Least I can do for a departed friend."

"I told you, I don't need you keeping an eye on me. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Really? We barely got you put back together last time!" Rhodes looked furious. Steve wondered what 'last time' Rhodes was talking about. Iron Man hadn't sustained any injuries in the past few months. And he definitely hadn't been in any explosions. It must have been before the Avengers assembled.

"But you did. Stop breathing down my neck."

"Don't fight me on this, Iron Man. You're all I have left of Tony. Please just let me worry about you, okay?" Rhodes' expression softened.

"Fine," Iron Man bowed his head.

Steve looked between the two. I'm madly in love with someone who can't love me back. Iron Man's words from a few days ago came to mind. Was this the person he was talking about? It would explain why he would let Rhodes walk away with a suit of armor. Rhodes said him and Tony Stark had been close. And apparently Stark had put a great deal of himself into Iron Man if his voice and sense of humor was anything to go by. Maybe he transferred his love for Rhodes onto Iron Man? Steve shook himself. He was looking too deeply into things. Still...Iron Man was in love with someone, and Steve couldn't think of who else it could be. Bucky maybe? Those two spent a lot of time together.

"When did you get blown up?" Steve asked softly.

"It was a long time ago. Don't worry about it." Iron Man pat Steve on the back.

"I wouldn't call 2008 a long time ago," Rhodes rolled his eyes.

"I've only existed for six years, give me a break," Iron Man huffed.

"Anyway, is everyone else alright? The tower's all over the news. Someone got some grainy footage of the last missile." Rhodes said.

"We're all fine," Steve reported.

"Jarvis, send me the footage." Iron Man requested. The was a moment of silence. Iron Man was facing the screen but clearly wasn't focused on it. His attention was on whatever was going on inside his artificial brain. "Pause. Enhance. Again. Shit. Jarvis, put that up where everyone can see it."

Rhodes' image was pushed to the corner of the screen, a blurry image of the missile taking up the rest of it. There was no mistaking the Stark Industries logo on the side.

"I thought SI stopped making weapons?" Bruce frowned at the image.

"They did. Someone must have been saving this puppy for a rainy day," Iron Man's voice was grim.

* * *

"Coffee?" Clint held a mug out to Steve.

"Yes, please," Steve gladly accepted the warm drink. They had arrived at Clint's farm around two in the morning. Clint's wife was a little upset that he hadn't called beforehand, but she was glad they were all alive, so she didn't give him too much trouble about it.

It was still early in the morning, and the Avengers were slowly waking up and making their way to the kitchen. Iron Man had chosen to remain in the Quinjet for the night, and Steve was a little curious when everyone but him was accounted for. Steve held his coffee close to his chest as he stepped out onto the porch, the screen door banging shut behind him. Surprisingly, he didn't have to go too much further to find the robot.

Iron Man was in the front yard, playing with Clint's kids. He was flying just a few feet off the ground, giving the two overly excited kids a ride on his back. Clint's son had one hand raised, making "pew pew" noises at various objects. Clint's daughter noticed what he was doing and did the same.

"You should let me borrow Iron Man again sometimes," Clint's wife spoke up from her chair on the porch. She was working on her laptop but politely closed it so she could talk to Steve. "I could use the break every once in a while."

Steve smiled and took a seat next to her, "I'll keep that in mind." She went back to typing on her laptop, and Steve turned his attention to Iron Man. Their flying turned into playing a game of war, which led to Iron Man lying on the ground because Clint's son had "shot" him. His daughter was tugging at Iron Man's head, yelling about how he needed to get up. When he didn't budge, she ran at her brother, declaring she would avenge Iron Man. Steve chuckled as the two kids ran in circles around each other pretending to fire repulsors from their palms. Iron Man eventually sat back up and was instantly swarmed by the curious kids. He sat completely still, cross-legged in the grass as the kids crawled all over him.

Setting his coffee aside, Steve went over to sit with them, "having fun?"

"Tons," Iron Man sounded annoyed, but his body language told a different story. Iron Man had always had a soft spot for kids, even if he wouldn't admit it. "Please don't touch that," he gently pushed the boy's hand away from his arc reactor. "How about you kid go see what Bucky's up to? I'm sure he'd love to tell you all about his metal arm." Iron Man pried the kids off him and shooed them away. As soon as they were gone the conversation turned serious. "All three missiles were targeted at my workshop. Whoever this is, they're after me, not the Avengers." Iron Man explained.

"Who else knows about your workshop beside us?" Steve asked. Even though the Avengers all knew it existed, Steve was the only one among them that knew its location in the tower.

"Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, Obediah-"

"Obediah?"

"Nevermind, I killed him, so cross him off the list." Iron Man waved his hand dismissively. "So, Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, Jarvis, of course, but that doesn't really count. Um, I guess that's it?"

"Wait, wait, wait." Steve held up a hand, "you killed someone?"

"I killed people in order to escape Afghanistan," Iron Man reminded him, not seeing the problem.

"You killed someone," Steve repeated.

"I'm a weapon. Weapons kill people." Iron Man said.

Steve shook his head, "you have weapons in you, but you yourself are not a weapon."

"Humans have such a strange way of looking at things," Iron Man mused. "Something can be right in front of their faces and they still chose to be blind."

"And robots take things too literally," Steve shot back, a playful smile on his lips. "Anyway. This Obediah, I've heard of him. He used to work for SI, didn't he?"

Iron Man tensed up. "Yes. He was like Rhodey. Good friends with Mr. Stark. Wanted to take care of me because he saw me as Mr. Stark's son. He was a good friend. You know, when Mr. Stark built me I didn't look anything like this. I was just a giant tin can made out of pieces of scrap metal. Obediah provided the parts I needed to make myself into this," he motioned to his body. Steve had seen photos of what Iron Man looked like when the army had found him wandering the desert. Steve was still in awe over how much the bot had changed himself. How much Iron Man had altered his armored exoskeleton in order to be perceived as more human.

"So why did you kill him?" Steve shifted around, having a bad feeling about where the story was headed.

"He was the cause of Mr. Stark's death. He was dealing weapons under the table, and paid to have Mr. Stark kidnapped and executed. I didn't want to kill him though. I wanted to turn him over to the police and let them handle it. But then he ripped out my heart," he tapped the arc reactor in his chest. Steve flinched. "He never truly cared about me. And when I stood in the way of his plans he made that very clear. I had to kill him. It was self-defense."

Steve furrowed his brow, that was a lot to take in and he was upset that someone had hurt his friend in such a way. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Iron Man shook his head. "Has Natasha been able to contact Fury?"

"Not yet. She said she'd try again after she got some coffee in her." Steve stood and held a hand out to Iron Man, who gladly accepted the help up.

* * *

"Thanks, Dumm-E," Steve accepted the cup of coffee from the bot with an earnest smile. A few days ago, the Avengers were homeless. Then they got ahold of Director Fury, who relocated them to a facility upstate. He hadn't been expecting them to make the move so soon, so most of the compound was still under construction. The main living quarters and Bruce's lab were really the only things finished. Iron Man had made a home in the spacious garage that housed the Quinjet. The items he had salvaged from the tower were scattered all around.

"Don't drink that," Iron Man advised. "He put motor oil in it."

"Thanks..." Steve slowly lowered the cup from his lips, having almost drunk some. "How's life in the garage?" He leaned against the wall, watching Iron Man dig through a box of tools.

Iron Man made an exasperated noise. "Awful. I can't get a damn thing done with so little space."

"Langauge."

"Suck a cock, Rogers," Iron Man waved a wrench at him. "This place is a mess."

"You're the one who made it a mess," Steve chuckled.

"Actually, Clint is the one who came through here and knocked everything over. Little shit." Not finding what he wanted, Iron Man kicked the box under the workbench. He marched over to a larger box and flipped open the lid. The bot didn't usually make much noise when he walked, other than the soft whirring of his joints. But right now he was storming around the garage, metal feet clanging on the concrete, and his joints practically screaming. Steve wondered if he was being loud on purpose, or if he needed to oil his joints.

"I think he's only partially to blame for this mess."

"Who's side are you on?" Iron Man's head whipped in his direction, blue eyes meeting Steve's.

"What are you looking for?" Steve changed the subject.

"This!" Iron Man held up a blowtorch. "I'm going to light Clint on fire."

Steve marched over and yanked the torch away. "Absolutely not." He smacked him in the back of the head for good measure.

"You're no fun, Stevie." Iron Man stuck his chin out.

"And you get way too much joy out of antagonizing people," Steve shook his head. "Try and get this place cleaned up before Nat sees it."

"You're not the boss of me."

"Actually, I am. As your team leader-"

"We're not on a mission. I don't have to do jack shit for you."

"Why are you acting like such a child today?" Steve put his hands on his hips, frowning down at the bot, who was still kneeling on the floor.

The robot tilted his head and shrugged, "today's a bad day." He tapped his right thigh with his index finger. "Things aren't working quite right."

Steve frowned, not quite understanding what he meant by that. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No," Iron Man said bluntly. "You can't help me. Please just leave me alone. And let Clint know that the next time he sets foot in here I will light him on fire."

"Fine," Steve trudged out of the garage, closing the door behind him.

Tony used his robotic eye to track Steve's heat signature. His silhouette was highlighted red against the blue. Tony didn't usually use his eye to see people's signatures. It was too much information conflicting with his human eye. But right now he felt compelled to track Steve's signature. Once Steve was too far away for Tony to see, he proceeded to slip off his helmet. He took in a deep breath of fresh air and let his head fall back against the crate. Dumm-E rolled over to him, whirring softly. "I'm okay, buddy," he brushed his hand over the bot's claw. "Leg's just acting up." He ran his finger along his thigh, tracing the spot where metal met flesh, just a few inches below his hip. The garage was cold. Cold and metal didn't mix well. Tony increased the heat inside his suit. Having to sleep on the hard seats of the Quinjet probably wasn't helping his situation. But he didn't have a bed at the compound.

Dumm-E whirred again, pressing its claw against Tony's cheek.

"I said I'm fine," Tony put his helmet back on. His bots were affectionate, somehow knowing how touch starved he was. And most of the time he appreciated it. Now wasn't one of those times. "Be a dear and steal some food from the kitchen for me. I don't care what. Canned soup if there is any." Dumm-E sped off, happy to have a job. For once, it actually brought back what Tony had asked for.

Steve returned a few hours later, removing Iron Man from his garage and forcing him to participate in movie night. He shoved the bot between him and Bucky.

"Always gotta sit by your boyfriend, eh Cap?" Clint nudged his leg with his boot.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"You tell 'em, babe!" Iron Man chirped.

"You. Stop." Steve pointed at Clint. He then jabbed Iron Man in the shoulder, "you. Shut it."

"Rude," Iron Man put his arm over the back of the couch.

"Yeah, be nice to your boyfriend!" Bucky grinned.

"What's this about a boyfriend?" Sam walked in right then, a large bowl of popcorn in his arms.

"Do not," Steve shot Clint a death glare the moment the archer opened his mouth.

The Avenger's alarm blared before the conversation got any further.

"Oh come on!" Sam groaned, "I just popped this!"

"Bring it with you," Steve was already rushing out of the room, grabbing his shield on the way out the door.

* * *

"Not how I thought my night would go, but hey, at least this is interesting," Clint said over the comms.

"Let's keep the chatter to a minimum tonight. This is serious, Barton," Banner reminded him. He was waiting in the Quinjet, praying that this wouldn't turn into a code green situation.

"Right, right. Robot invasion. Right," Clint mumbled, stabbing an arrow through a crudely made robot. Hundreds of them had swarmed the city. They were made of scrap metal, and weren't put together all that well. Easy to take down, and more of an annoyance than anything. It was the larger, more humanoid bots everyone was worried about. They could still be easily destroyed, but the weapons they carried on themselves were concerning. A few civilians had already been shot by the time the Avengers arrived on the scene, but thankfully there were no fatalities.

"These things are making me look bad," Tony growled, ripping apart the head of a bot with his hands.

"I think you do that on your own," Natasha commented.

"You just really have it out for me, don't you?" Tony blasted into the sky, climbing several hundred feet before stopping. He hovered in mid-air, surveying the battlegrounds. Thor and Steve had been able to contain the fighting to a few blocks.

"She has it out for everyone, don't take it personally," Clint assured him. Tony's sight locked onto him easily. The archer was perched on a rooftop, dealing with the small bots.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's wrap this up. This is getting bor-OOF!" Something rammed into him from behind, sending him crashing into a parking garage. Tony grunted as he pushed himself to his knees. "The hell?"

 **CLANG**

Something metal hit him in the back of the head. Hard.

Tony activated his repulsors, shooting out of reach before his attacker could deliver another blow. "Hey, now, big guy." Iron Man held out his palms. This bot looked nothing like the others. It was twice the size of Iron Man, and sporting glowing red eyes. "I'm guessing you're their leader?"

"You could say that," the bot's voice was deep and gravely. It raised its fist, a small projectile attached to the back of its wrist.

"He speaks! Wonderful! I'd rather not kill one of my own, so I'd appreciate it if you stand down."

"One of your own? Cute," it fired the projectile. Iron Man easily dodged, however, the resulting explosion tossed him against a pillar. "You and I are nothing alike." He grabbed Iron Man by the head and slammed him into the hood of a car, setting off the alarm. Iron Man kicked the bot off him and blasted through the hole in the roof. He didn't make it very far before the bot grabbed him by the ankle and yanked him back to the ground. Tony's head banged against the inside of the helmet. It stung, but he refused to make a sound. His comm was still on. He couldn't allow the Avengers to know that Iron Man could feel pain.

Tony put everything he had into his boots, shooting out of the bots grip, then making a sharp turn and crashing into him. He was able to deliver several punches and few repulsor blasts before the bot grabbed him by the throat and flew out of the parking garage. Tony squirmed out of his grasp. From there the battle became airborne. Tony gave his all, but nothing he did seemed to weaken the other bot. "Okay, time for a nap." He grabbed onto the robot's torso and flew downwards. The flaps on his shoulder blades lifted up, freeing the boosters and quickening his decent.

Steve looked up just in time to see the two bots hurtling towards the ground. They landed with a loud boom and a cloud of dust. "Iron Man!" He called the moment the dust cleared, terrified of what he saw. His teammate was locked in a battle to the death against a bot that towered over him.

"Take care of the-OOF!-small bots! I got-SHIT-I got this, cap!" Iron Man yelled.

Metal clashed against metal. Sparks flew. Repulsors whirred. Everything was happening in flashes of color and sound. The larger bot grabbed Iron Man by the throat and slammed him into the pavement, its free hand wrapped around Iron Man's head. The metal creaked under its fingers, dents starting to take shape. Iron Man thrashed underneath him.

"I like the new design. Lovely paint job, as always, too bad I have to ruin it." The bot's voice crackled as if it were laughing.

Tiny rockets flipped out from Iron Man's shoulders and launched at his opponent, hitting it square in the chest. The larger robot was thrown off him, the ground shaking when it hit.

Iron Man's body moved in jerky motions as he got his feet. Sparks sprayed from the cracked eyepiece in his helmet.

The other bot growled as it stood, "always fighting back. You need to learn when to stay down."

"Staying down isn't part of my programming," Iron Man said. Steve approached his teammate slowly, shield raised and ready to fight. Iron Man put his hand out, silently telling the Captain to stay back.

"Programming," the bot echoed. "You never were one to follow your programming, though. Too much human in you, I suppose."

Iron Man held up his repulsors, "are you going to keep talking, or are we going to fight?"

"I thought you liked talking. Though it has been awhile since we've last seen each other. A lot's changed. You've changed."

"I'm the same as I've always been," Iron Man held the bot's glare. "Who are you?"

"An old friend."

"I have a lot of those. Be more specific."

"What, you don't recognize my voice? I'm offended, Stark."

Iron Man flinched. Steve slowly turned his gaze to his teammate. "That's not my name."

The bot moved tilted its head. "You keep telling yourself that. Doesn't change the fact that Stark made you. You are his child, and therefore a Stark. I wonder...if he could see you now, what would he think of you? Look at yourself! All this power and you've accomplished so little. Your father would think you're such a disappointment."

Iron Man let out an animal like roar and charged the robot. Steve hung back, knowing he would be crushed if he got in between the two machines. What the larger bot had said must have really angered Iron Man, because his attacks were all over the place. There was not strategizing, no going for weak points. He was letting loose with everything he had, desperately trying to tear the other bot apart.

"They'll kill each other," Natasha appeared next to Steve. "The others bots have been taken care of." She added quickly. "Iron Man's fighting the last one."

"Shall I end this?" Thor raised his hammer, lightning cracked overhead.

Steve held up his hand and shook his hand, "don't. You'll just give them both more juice." Thor reluctantly lowered his hammer. Steve looked away when Iron Man's right arm was sliced off by a laser. Iron Man didn't seem to notice and kept fighting.

"We have to do something," Sam said over the comms. "I know we can just put Iron Man back together, but I'd rather not watch him be torn apart."

Steve made a soft noise of agreement, but he wasn't sure what to do. The gray bot now had Iron Man pinned under his foot. Iron Man's armor was a wreck. It was littered with dents and scratches. There wasn't much paint left on it. The dim lighting made it hard to tell how well the other bot was fairing.

"I'm going to rip you limb from limb. I'll leave your head in one piece, though. So you can watch me kill your precious Avengers. Let you watch as I bash their skulls in."

"DON'T TOUCH THEM!" Iron Man put everything he had into his unibeam. White light shot from his chest, engulfing the street, and temporarily blinding the Avengers. When the light died away, the enemy robot was lying in pieces around Iron Man, who lay unmoving on the ground. "Don't...touch...them..." Iron Man's voice was only audible through the comms.

"Iron Man!" Steve dropped his shield and raced to his friend's side. The Avengers swarmed around their fallen teammate. Steve practically fell on top of his friend, cupping his face with his hands. Iron Man's eyes were dark. But the arc reactor still glowed. He was alive. "Iron Man! Can you hear me?!" Iron Man gave a small nod. Steve let out a shaky breath.

"Think you could give me a hand, cap?" Iron Man's undamaged eye flicked back on. He wiggled what was left of his arm.

Steve shook his head in disbelief.

"You gave us quite a scare, Man of Iron. I do not think that now is a good time for jokes," Thor frowned at him.

For once, Iron Man didn't give a snarky comeback. Steve slipped an arm under his shoulders and lifted him into a sitting position. Iron Man let out a strangled cry as if the movement caused him pain. Steve stilled. "Are you okay?"

"No, no, something's wrong," Iron Man's voice was choppy. "Very wrong."

"Okay, okay, we'll fix it, just hang on."

"No!" Iron Man yelled. Steve jerked his head back in shock. "Sorry, no. I need...Rhodey. Call Rhodey. C-call him right now. It's too much, you gotta call him!"

"Are you...in pain?" Steve spoke slowly, afraid of the answer.

"Call Rhodey," Iron Man was begging at this point, his remaining hand grabbing at Steve's shirt. "Jarvis won't answer me. You gotta call him."

"Answer the question," Clint snapped. "Can you feel pain?"

"Y-yes. Oh, god, please call Rhodey!" Iron Man choked out.

"You've been able to feel pain this entire time?!" Steve looked horrified. He thought about all the times Iron Man had lost a limb or had been thrown through a building. "How is that even possible?"

"Never felt pain before. But I do have Artifical nerves. Deep down." Iron Man choked out. "Deep deep down. Meant to detect internal damage. S-something's wrong. I've never felt like this before. Oh FUCK, please call Rhodey!" Tony hadn't felt this much pain since half his body was blown up. He was conscious enough to make up an answer but too far gone to pinpoint where the pain was coming from. It felt like his entire body was on fire.

"I just did," Natasha knelt down next to them, putting a hand on Iron Man's knee. "He's on his way. Just hold on. Where does it hurt?"

"Hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts," it sounded like Iron Man was shorting out, his head twitched.

Steve held the robot close to his chest, tucking the cold metal head under his chin. "Shhh...Help is on the way." Iron Man was completely still in his arms, but he continued to repeat the same word over and over. Steve didn't know how to comfort the bot. His first instinct was to rub his back, but he knew the robot wouldn't be able to feel it. Instead, Steve continued cradling the broken robot in his arms. He shifted the hand holding Iron Man's head so that it was now covering the bots eyes, as if to shield him from the world. "I need you to power down. It'll stop hurting if you power down." Something warm was seeping through Steve's sleeve. Something warm and wet. He ignored it.

"Hurts, hurts, hurts." Iron Man's voice was growing weak.

Steve pulled Iron Man all the way into his lap, "shhh. Go to sleep, shellhead. You'll feel better when you wake up. I promise."

Iron Man refused, his eyes staying brightly lit.

"C'mon man, listen to Cap. Power down," Clint pleaded. "Iron Man. You have to power down. That's the only way to make the pain stop."

There was a heavy metallic thud behind them followed by a, "give him to me." Everyone looked up to see War Machine. He held out his arms to take the injured bot. Steve scooped Iron Man up bridal style and handed him over to Rhodes. Steve had to pry Iron Man's hand from his shirt.

"Help him," Steve whispered.

"I will," War Machine blasted into the sky. Steve watched him go with a heavy heart.

Iron Man could feel pain.

Iron Man was in pain. Iron Man had never felt pain before and he was scared. There was nothing Steve could do to help him. And that was tearing him apart. A lump formed in the back of Steve's throat.

"He's gonna be okay," Natasha's hand ghosted over Steve's shoulder. "He'll get fixed up, just like always. C'mon. Shield's arriving to clean up this mess. We need to get out of their way." Steve let himself be guided back to the Quinjet. He felt numb. People were talking to him, but he didn't hear what they said.

Once back at the compound, he stripped himself of his uniform. He was about to throw it in the laundry basket when he noticed the dark liquid on the sleeve. The liquid looked black against the navy blue fabric, but there was a slight reddish-brown hue to it. Steve felt sick looking at it. He didn't want to think about what kind of oil could have been spilling out of his friend's battered body. He shoved the shirt into the basket and didn't look back.

* * *

 **Malibu**

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Tones." Rhodey's face hovered over Tony, who groaned at the sudden noise and screwed his eyes shut. "You gave us quite a scare. You've been out for three days."

"Do they know now? About me?" Tony whispered. Everything hurt. He vaguely remembered getting his ass handed to him by another bot. And being held by Steve. Kind Steve. It was nice. Being held by the man he loved. It probably wouldn't happen ever again. Not if Steve had found out the truth.

"You almost died, and you're worried about the Avengers finding out you're a human?" A feminine voice spoke, heels clicking their way over to Tony. Tony forced his eyes open and was relieved to see Pepper standing next to his bed. His bed. Back at his house in Malibu. How did he get here?

"War Machine flew you in," Pepper said. Shit. He said that out loud. "And to answer your first question, no, the Avengers don't know. You're lucky War Machine was nearby. Otherwise, you would've bled out in that damn suit." Pepper shook her head.

"Your buddies keep calling me, wanting to know how you are. I told them that we had to force you to power down and that we plan on keeping you like that for awhile," Rhodey explained. "Pepper made up some bullshit about your wires snapping and sending out false signals," He tapped Tony's forehead. That was different than the story Iron Man had given them, but Tony didn't feel like straightening that out right now.

"What are my actual injuries?" Tony propped himself up on one elbow. His prosthetic hadn't been replaced. He was seeing in shades of blue again, but couldn't find the strength to focus his human eye. Pepper moved around to his other side, checking on the IV in his arm.

"Four broken ribs, broken collarbone, fractured skull, internal bleeding. And the usually cuts in bruises that come with every fight. How you were still conscious when I picked you up is beyond me. Oh, your right leg is busted. Had to take it off so you wouldn't accidentally cut yourself on the broken metal. It's down in the lab when you feel like fixing it up."

"Thanks, Buddy," Tony let himself lie back down.

"How's the pain? I can up the dosage a little. Not much, but a little," Pepper offered, already messing with the liquid in the IV bag.

Tony shook his head, being no stranger to pain. "I'm more hungry than anything."

Pepper smiled, "alright. I'll make you something. For now, you should rest." Tony nodded and let his human eye flutter shut. The metal plates in his right eye socket shifted, spiraling shut over the glowing eyeball. Rhodey slipped the facial prosthetic back onto Tony's head, knowing he would be upset if he woke up without it.

The next few weeks went by rather smoothly. Tony roamed freely around his mansion, enjoying the time spent outside his armor. He had to use a wheelchair to get around until he fixed his prosthetic leg. And even then, Pepper still insisted on him using the chair, wanting him to take it easy.

Tony currently lay on his back in his workshop, wearing nothing but his boxers. He held his prosthetic hand up, inspecting the fine details in the pale sunlight. He sighed and sat up. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window and suddenly found himself unable to look away. His eyes traveled down his own body, looking at the metal that had overtaken the right side. The side the Jericho had claimed when it blew up next to him. He tore his gaze away from the mirror and looked down at his legs. One being almost completely gone, and the other ending just above the knee. At least he still had his left arm. He kept reminding himself of that everything he got caught up in his injuries. And most of his face. Speaking of which...

Tony ran a hand over his jaw. He desperately needed to shave.

"Someone's feeling better," Rhodey observed when Tony came upstairs for dinner, freshly shaven and fully clothed. "Steve called again by the way."

Tony perked up at that, "what did he want?"

"What did he want?" Rhodey rolled his eyes. "He wanted to know how you were doing, dummy."

"What did you tell him?"

"That we turned you back on and you'd be going home soon."

"Home," Tony breathed out. "The Avengers facility isn't much of a home. All I have is the garage."

"You'd have a bed if you just told them-"

"I'm not having this conversation at eight in the morning," Tony grabbed a coffee mug from the cupboard, slamming the door shut. "I'm in too deep to back out now. Six years too deep."

"He really loves you, you know."

"Who?"

"Steve! Jesus, Tones. You're slow today." Rhodey huffed. Tony snorted but didn't say anything. He just went about making his coffee. "He was close to tears when I showed up. Clinging to you like his life depended on it."

"I don't want to talk about this." Tony kept his back to Rhodey.

"He loves you."

"Steve has a big heart, he loves everyone," Tony shook his head.

"Not the same way he loves you, though," Rhodey hummed.

"Then he's an idiot. Falling in love with a fucking robot," Tony finally turned to face his friend.

"He's not in love with a robot. He's in love with you."

"No," Tony glared at the mug in his hands. "He's in love with Iron Man, who is indeed a robot. But Tony Stark, the fucked up cyborg hiding inside him? No. He could never love that person."

Rhodey let out a long sigh, "I don't feel like arguing with you on this, Tones. Have it your way. Just know that you deserve to be loved."

"I do not. I don't deserve anyone's love. Especially not Captain America's." Tony took a long sip of coffee, holding the mug tightly in both hands. Tony truly believed his one purpose in life was to pilot the Iron Man suit. Help people. Save lives. Do what he can to atone for his sins before he kicked the bucket.

Rhodey's expression was full of sadness. "Tony-"

"Don't. Please, just...don't." Tony left the room. He didn't feel like having dinner anymore.

* * *

Almost two months after Iron Man was injured, the robot suddenly appeared in the Avengers' living room. He looked as if nothing had happened. His armor shined as brightly as ever, the paint crisp, and not a single scuff in sight. His blue eyes glowed brightly. The Avengers swarmed around him, bombarding him with questions. Their hands ghosted over him, but no one dared actually touch him. Iron Man didn't directly answer any of their questions. He simply said things like "I'm fine", "Don't worry about me", and "I'm sorry for worrying you".

"Someone get Steve!" Clint said, and Bucky quickly hurried out of the room. He returned a few minutes later with a very worn out Captain America at his side. The man had deep bags under his eyes and hadn't shaved in a few days. His hair was a mess, and his usually pristine clothing was wrinkled. The moment his eyes fell on Iron Man, his entire face lit up.

"Hey," Iron Man whispered. Steve rushed over and wrapped Iron Man in a tight hug. Iron Man hesitated before slipping his arms around the soldier. Steve pressed his forehead into the crook of Iron Man's neck. For a long minute, everyone stayed still. Then Bucky joined in on the hug, and pretty soon Iron Man was being group-hugged by the entire team. No one said anything.

That was until Thor showed up and flung himself at the group, knocking everyone over. Steve's laughter was music to Tony's ears.

* * *

Pepper, sweet Pepper, had made sure Tony had an actual bed at the compound. The workshop had already been under construction when Tony had last been there, but now there was an actual bedroom attached to it, hidden behind a secret door. The bedroom was complete with a bathroom and kitchen area. It was small, but exactly what he needed. The construction workers had been paid extra to not ask any questions.

Tony flopped down face first on the bed, breathing in the new linen scent.

"What, you don't recognize my voice? I'm offended, Stark."

Tony rolled onto his back. He had been thinking about that robot ever since their fight. He did recognize that voice. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't put a name to it.

Unlike Iron Man, there had been no one inside the other bot. Whoever was controlling it was still out there. Luckily, the mystery antagonist hadn't made a move to attack the Avengers in the time Iron Man was gone. But it was only a matter of time before they showed themselves.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Lockdown the workshop. We have a lot of work to do on the armor." Tony got up and stretched. "And put on a pot of coffee, while you're at it."

"Right away, sir."


End file.
